Jacksonville Jaguars: A Solid Backup Quarterback Can Be a Game Changer
A quality backup quarterback may be just what the Jacksonville Jaguars and Blake Bortles needs.
The backup quarterback is a far more important position than meets the eye. Failing to have a quality backup behind your starting quarterback can ruin an entire year of hard work in just the blink of an eye. Just ask the Oakland Raiders.
With Blake Bortles entering his final year before free agency, a solid backup quarterback is an absolute necessity for the Jaguars, and that is something they do not have. In a perfect world, Bortles can have an incredible 2017 season, have another injury free season, and continue to play with the Jaguars for the many years to come. In reality, that doesn’t always happen.
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The Jaguars need to have a solid backup quarterback in the event of an injury, free agency, or poor performance. In the NFL, preparation is the key to everything. It is better to have a solid backup ready to play, then roll the dice and hope that Bortles can step up his game from last season.
Brandon Allen is still learning the ropes of the NFL, and Chad Henne is mediocre at best. What Bortles needs is someone who can push him and compete for the starting job.
Competition is what really makes a quarterback blossom. Competition drives players to be the best they can be. It takes players out of their comfort zones, and forces them to enhance their performance. Competition at quarterback is something that the Jaguars have lacked over the last several years. Bortles has not even the slightest worry about Henne or Allen taking his job in training camp. In the end, forced competition is what makes the highest quality product.
If you bring in a quality quarterback, best case scenario he plays extraordinarily well and becomes a future starter. Worst case scenario you have a solid backup. You cannot go wrong with putting down a little bit of money for a proven quarterback to add competition.
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Free agents A.J. McCarron and Ryan Nassib are two guys that really stood out and grabbed my attention. Both would make an excellent addition to the Jaguars offseason roster, and both could easily outperform Henne and Allen in the preseason.
Of the two, McCarron would easily be best option for the Jaguars to bring in at quarterback this offseason. First of all, he’s a proven quarterback. When Andy Dalton was injured at the end of the 2015 season, McCarron stepped up and had an incredible performance in the playoffs for the Cincinnati Bengals. McCarron has learned under a great coaching staff and from a great quarterback. He is no stranger to the postseason. He comes from a winning culture in Cincinnati and definitely has the experience necessary to give Bortles some competition and compete for a starting spot. Unlike guys like Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo, McCarron won’t cost an arm and a leg to bring to Jacksonville. The Jaguars possess the cap space necessary to throw down a convincing offer to lure him in. With his playoff experience, he may even be able to teach Bortles a thing or two.
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Could McCarron join his former Alabama teammate, T.J. Yeldon, in Jacksonville for the 2017 season?